McNabb Talks About A "little mouse"

Chuck Hixson

02/01/2006

Donovan McNabb has refused to talk about the Terrell Owens saga of 2005 - until now. In Detroit for the Super Bowl festivities, McNabb opened up to ESPN about Terrell Owens and how the whole situation infected the Eagles.

So, did Donovan McNabb really call Terrell Owens a "little mouse"? Well,
McNabb says he wasn't talking about Owens, but it's a hard comment to ignore.
Appearing on ESPN's NFL Live on Wednesday, McNabb talked candidly about
the 2005 season. "We had an opportunity to go out and play well. Obviously, the
injuries held us back, but once you put a little mouse in and it begins to eat
up everything, it's all gone," said McNabb. He immediately backtracked from the
statement, denying that he was referring to Owens as a "little mouse", but the
comment was already out there. "I'm not using him and saying he's the mouse,"
insisted McNabb.

Even if you discount that comment, there was plenty that was undeniably meant
to refer to Owens. When asked if Owens had caused too much of a problem for the
Eagles to overcome, McNabb replied "It's easy to say injuries were the problem.
But, I think (Owens) was the problem," said McNabb in his first comments about
Terrell Owens. McNabb also admitted that Owens caused a split in the locker room
that became a distraction to the team. "It had a big effect on the team.
Whenever you walk in the locker room and see guys talking amongst themselves,
and then you walk in and it gets quiet. That's the problem. You have to trust
the guy next to you that he's going to do his job, I'm going to do my job and
we're going to go out and have a great year," said McNabb. The Eagles
quarterback also believes that the team still has to put the pieces together
from a disastrous 2005 season.

As for Owens, the Eagles are allowing his agent, Drew Rosenhaus to work out a
deal to trade the superstar wide receiver to another team. Tampa Bay, the New York Jets, Miami and Denver have all expressed interest. On Wednesday, the
Chiefs were reported to have contacted Rosenhaus about possibly bringing Owens
to Kansas City. The Chiefs did not have a wide receiver with double-digit
touchdown receptions under Dick Vermeil, but that could all change under new
head coach Herman Edwards. Many players believe Edwards is also the kind of
coach that can rehabilitate wayward players and may be the right fit for Owens.
Kansas City is not without talent at the wide receiver spot, with Eddie Kennison
and a corps of young receivers all playing key parts, but Owens would certainly
be the best of the group, as he would on most teams. It's expected that Edwards
will try to meet with Owens and sell him on being able to assemble the kind of
offense that could help Owens return to the top of the wide receiver rankings.

As for McNabb, he provided a two-word bit of advice for the Chiefs or any
other team that winds up employing Owens; "good luck."